Amazing Star Montessori House

[chatelaine]

Hi drumstick


Are you on waitlist at Green Ridge as well?

Let me know if you come across any reviews for this CC.

:thankyou:

[tealeaf2580]

hihi… anyone send your child to the Amazing Star at Seng Kang? Can provide feedback?

[superdaddy000]

Anyone went to visit centre during weekday, pls feedback. Urgently in need of answer. :?: :?:


Thanks.

[chatelaine]

Amazing Star @Jelapang 2011 fee has increased to $480.


PG size 1:20 with 2 assistant teacher. Was wondering if this is violating MCYS guideline :roll:

[sunset_dae]

Hi Chatelaine


How u know they gg to increase the sch fees?

[chatelaine]

They told me when I were going to register my kids :roll: :roll:

[sunset_dae]

the school is so popular, no wonder they increase the fees. hopefully they can start a infant care, then i dun have to find a nanny to take care of my bb next year…

[buds]

chatelaine:

Amazing Star @Jelapang 2011 fee has increased to $480.


PG size 1:20 with 2 assistant teacher. Was wondering if this is violating MCYS guideline :roll:

If you work out the sums... it'd be like 1 teacher to 7 children.
Cause above post shows 2 assistant teachers... i reckon that
does not include the main teacher yet. So, it is okay lah. PG is
18mths old. The fees are still within affordable range if you
compare with other centres within the area which offer quality
childcare programme. Plus more manpower... need more $$$$
right? You wouldn't want to shortchange the total number of
children with less teaching staff in a class... and do take into
consideration that qualified teachers would also cost more.

[chatelaine]

Hi buds


Do you mean is okay if they have 3 teachers in a class with only 1 teacher teaching 20 kids?

Is MCYS rule 1:8 meant for 1 teaching teacher:8 students? :?:

I were having a hard time looking for CC recently, visited almost all the CC @BP & Hillview. I went St Joseph ($500) & New Life ($435), their ratio is 1:6(max) only. Fee wise upon compared with Amazing, of course is reasonable based on the ratio.

FYI... The principal and asst. supervisor is montessori trained while the rest of the teachers are in-house trained by them. Asst. supervisor only teach K2 students.

[buds]

Depending on the size of the classroom really…


There are classes which have open spaces and segregated by only like
shelving cabinets (etc)… while some other cc’s of bigger scale can have
separate and specific rooms with doors for each and every class. So the
space limitations of every centre do vary.

As for the Amazing Star @ Jelapang’s space, i’m thinking that the main
open space will be allocated for the PG children as that is the only big
area i can seem to recall at this time.

1 : 8 is more so for the application of 1 teacher caring for 8 children…
not necessarily meaning teaching.

Main teacher can rotate roles for official teaching proper with her 2
assistant teachers, to provide for better teaching attention to smaller
grouped children.

For example, while the first group of 8 are being taught the day’s lesson
by a main teacher, the second group of 8 may be finishing up their b’fast,
followed by the third group of 8 perhaps doing colouring or perhaps some
tracing assignments given by the main teacher which may be in relevance
to the topic of the day. In this instance, if the main teacher is going to
teach different types of flowers another group can do the colouring or
tracing of the flowers the main teacher is going to teach and the other
group of 8… after finishing with b’fast can work on their flower craft for
the day.

The 3 groups can rotate between the given number of staff to ensure the
work scheduled for the day plus the care ie. showering, eating, sleeping,
(etc) are carried out within the given time frame.

I hope this clarifies and explains better for you to understand the daily
routine of a childcare set-up. For even better understanding, you could
opt for a two weeks or 1mth trial programme before you officially put
your child in for their half-day or full-day programme.

I understand that you have done your recce and your ground foundation
of the schools withinn your vicinity is quite extensive… however now, you
have to prioritize what is it that you actually want for your child, what are
your needs and what is it that you truly want in search of a child care ctr…
Issit the curriculum… issit the just the price/fee… issit caring staff… issit
a good management… or issit the group size…

Parents looking for or even considering child care arrangements do have
to bear in mind that they cannot get the best of everything under one
roof for a nominal fee. Determine what issit that both you & your spouse
are comfortable with in the search for a centre. Focus on the real needs
of what you want your child to have… While there are few centres that
DO indeed have the best of everything, they may either be full or on the
high side with regards to fees. Trained teachers, sufficient teachers, low
student teacher ratio, good menu variation + quality food… all these are
costs. Costs that need to be factored in to serve the children and of cos,
the parents better.

Chatelaine, as for the part on trained teachers and in-house trained ones…
Here’s my take. While there are many trained teachers out there, not all
of them are committed & almost all of them will command a higher salary
especially for Montessori trained ones. Even more expensive for teachers
who are Montessori trained & also Early Childhood trained to be recruited!
The $ these teachers have invested & the time they have taken to pursue
training are substantial. So, unless the centres can find such teachers ard,
or can pay to sign on such teachers, they have to make do with in-house
training first. Teachers who are just recruited in and in-house trained will
be sent for official training in due time. Perhaps after probation period &
also perhaps if they are willing to be bonded for sponsorship… (etc)

There are many behind-the-scene situations that not all parents know of
in having a well-run centre… but here’s just sharing a few of them for
sharing sake in the hope that parents can identify the priorities of what
they are looking out for in a centre. While centres try to cater better to
the needs of parents as the years go by, parents too; have to play a part
in being fair to the limitations of each centre with the price tag each of them
bring to the table.